LENTEN REFLECTIONS #23
Empathy is in the news today. Chatter about how to eliminate it.
Eliminate a feeling?
Just backspace seven times and delete a feeling. Nope. Not today. Not ever.
We teach empathy in schools. It’s the right thing to do.
I did a little research and discovered some interesting facts:
- According to Psychology Today, empathy is the ability to recognize, understand, and share the thoughts and feelings of another person, animal, or fictional character. Developing empathy is crucial for establishing relationships and behaving compassionately. It involves experiencing another person’s point of view, rather than just one’s own, and enables prosocial or helping behaviors that come from within, rather than being forced.
- Individuals with narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) typically show a lack of empathy.
- In Hitler’s book Mein Kampf, he reveals his extreme views and hatred, which are often seen as indicative of a lack of empathy.
- Brené Brown has a clever video on the difference between empathy and sympathy. EMPATHY V SYMPATHY
- In his sermon on July 1, 2018, Rev. David Justin Lynch from St. Cecilia’s Church in California talked about Jesus and said, “He wept at the tomb of Lazarus, sharing the grief of the family of Lazarus before restoring Lazarus to life. When the disciples of Jesus showed a lack of empathy by repelling children from Jesus, He rebuked them and welcomed the children to him with open arms. That Jesus esteemed empathy as a laudable human trait can also be seen from a situation where he was invited to dinner at the home of a Pharisee. There, a woman anointed the feet of Jesus with expensive oil, and dried them with very long hair. The Pharisees criticized Jesus for wasting expensive oil and allowing a woman they deemed a sinner to touch him. Jesus responded that, unlike the Pharisee who had invited him to dinner, the woman empathized with the tired condition of his feet by kissing and anointing them, and that she was a better host than the Pharisee was. Jesus recognized the value of her empathy when He told her that her sins, whatever they might have been (scripture doesn’t tell us), were forgiven, and to go in peace.”
What I learned:
Empathy is here to stay. Without it, we are empty, egocentric vessels.
Hold on to your true self. Honestly, grasp it with both hands and don’t let go.
Here’s to Another Good Day.
Thanks for joining me,
Lucretia
runonmom.com 